Banish Regret For Good

4- Take action

Assess any regrets you have and rectify what you can. If you feel you didn't travel enough while in college, plan a trip now. If you're married, modify your dream trip and bring your wife along. Even if it's not the backpacking tour you wish you had taken after graduation, a trip to Europe as a couple could be an even better substitute.

Have you lost track of old friends? The Internet has opened up great opportunities to find lost friends, no matter how long it has been since you've seen them. If something is important to you, don't get stressed over it — take action.

5- Be positive

Change your outlook. Understand that if you are happy now, it's probably because you have experienced certain things. You are the result of your past experiences and your positive acceptance of them. It is always difficult to be positive in the face of tragedy but, when a friend or relative dies, try to focus on the good memories rather than regretting things you did not have a chance to say or to do together.

It's good to grieve but try to be positive, not regretful, in your attitude about life.

6- Lose the loser attitude

Drop the "would have, should have, could have" mentality. We would all be healthier if we could train ourselves to eliminate the words "I should have" from our vocabulary, because they almost always carry feelings of guilt. Avoid mental stress by getting rid of any defeatist attitude.

If you missed a deadline at work, accept the consequences and take corrective action. Prepare a timeline for your next project and you will be a winner, not a loser. Maybe you "should have" done that last time. Forget about it. It's over. Move ahead. "Don't let yesterday use up too much of today." (Will Rogers)

don't worry, be happy

Everything that has happened to you in the past has happened for a reason. It's good to learn from history so that it doesn't repeat itself, but don't dwell on it. Focus on the present and the future. Worry only about things over which you have direct control.

Enjoy life and live every day to the fullest. As Mark Twain said, "Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do... Explore. Dream. Discover." For the good of your body and mind, don't live with regret.